News from Czech beer scene plus some more stuff. Na zdravi!

September 27th was set as Czech Beer Day and many breweries (suprisingly mainly the “big” ones) prepared something special for their customers. Many pubs participated as well so I decided to give a try and went to Raskovice´s pub U Bobra where local beer enhtusiast and a owner´s friend Datel introduced some new and unique beers made by Plzensky Prazdroj.

Plzensky Prazdroj is probably the most known Czech brewer and its beers are the most selling ones in CZ. I don´t mind its flagship – Pilsner Urquell – it´s a pretty good beer, famous worldwide and you can easily buy a sixpack in the USA and elsewhere. I don´t like its common brand Gambrinus. It´s most common beer in CZ and the taste is just plain and boring. But many beer drinkers love it because they can drink 8-10 of these per evening and it won´t kill them in the morning after. So I was pretty sceptical.

But I was quite suprised at the end.

I had a chance to taste two main attractions that day. First, unfiltered Pilsener Urquell. It´s commonly available only in Pilsen´s brewery after a visitor tour so the opportunity to drink it was quite special. Unfiltered PU is the highest ranket beer on RateBeer and frankly it was very good. Not the best Czech beer I´ve ever had but good. Secondly I have tried Gambrinus First Hops and quiote shockingly I was amazed! It was very good lager, hoppy with fruit tones, easy to drink but delicious. I´d never tell that this was the same brand as the awful one in many pubs around.

So I can tell now that even big bullies can do a great beer. But only sometimes and only in limited amount. But YES, THEY CAN.